שמואל ב, פרק י״ז, פסוק ט׳

In response to the advice to launch an immediate strike against David, Hushai outlines a military and psychological scenario designed to prove that a surprise night attack would end in absolute disaster. He explains that attempting to assassinate a king who is surrounded by experienced warriors will lead to a tactical failure and a devastating false rumor that will collapse the morale of Absalom's entire army. The first flaw in the plan involves David's physical location. At night, David will not sleep out in the open within his camp. Instead, he will conceal himself apart from his followers in isolated hiding spots, such as pits, trenches, or caves [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מנחת שי].

This separation completely ruins the strategy to kill only the king without harming his people, as the attackers simply will not be able to find him [רש״י, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Furthermore, remaining hidden provides David and his men with the local element of surprise, allowing them to set a deadly ambush [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. When the attack begins, Absalom's forces will be preoccupied with searching for David and will avoid striking the people, just as they were instructed. Meanwhile, David and his men will fight back fiercely. As a result, the very first casualties of the battle will actually fall from Absalom's own ranks [מצודת דוד, אלשיך]. Interestingly, this initial downfall is framed using gentle language to avoid explicitly predicting a defeat for Absalom, ensuring no misfortune is verbally invited upon his camp [אלשיך].

The final and most crucial stage of this failure relies on psychological warfare. The primary approach among commentators is that the confusion of fighting in the darkness serves as the core of this argument. The soldiers positioned at the rear of the attacking force will be unable to see the battlefield clearly. Instead, they will only hear the screams of the first soldiers falling to the ambush, suffering a heavy blow by the sword [רד״ק, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Hearing these cries in the dark will spark a false and highly exaggerated rumor. Unable to see the actual details of the skirmish, the troops in the back will mistakenly conclude that Absalom's entire army is being slaughtered, leading them to believe that God has abandoned them [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד].

Once the rumor of this initial defeat spreads, it will reach the ears of the remaining Israelites who are on their way to join Absalom, as well as the mighty warriors who are already by his side. Their courage will melt away in fear. Assuming that Absalom's fortune has begun to turn against him, they will completely avoid joining his cause or continuing to fight on his behalf [רש״י, אברבנאל].